GearGossip Boss VE-8 Review (ENG) 

I’ve owned this pedal and played gigs with it for over a year, I think I come back to this video once a month just to refresh myself on what it can do. Thank you man.

And BTW - don't sell yourself short - You absolutely ROCK. Thanks for the great playing and singing demos. Can't tell you how much they helped.

It's so refreshing to have a tasteful player demoing these units.

Best review/tutorial I've seen. Lots of good information and hidden capabilities. Great production and wonderful sense of humor.

I found one of these second-hand for less than half of new in 2024. Your review is one of the best I've found. Very thorough and good sense of humor. And dude, your guitar playing is AWESOME. I wish i could play that good, but I'm inspired to really work hard on it after listening to this.

Don't understand, I've seen reviews with tons of hits for this, but this guy is on all levels...the most thorough interesting and best. He's my new go-to...much respect.

Just fell over this review after my son bought this pedal, fantastic honest overview, presented in a easy going, fun informative way..... thank you for sharing 👍

This was an awesome tutorial. Bought this after months of deliberation about whether I wanted it for my solo rig. It meant going to a bigger pedalboard but I think it was well worth it. However, I knew there was much more I could be doing with this thing and I really appreciate you showcasing all the options. This was an extremely well put together video. Completely agree with you about not showcasing vocal correction. Thanks for taking the time to research all of this. Makes me feel even better about my purchase. Thank you!

This is one of the best reviews/tutorials I’ve ever seen on the internet. Good job mate. You kept it entertaining all throughout the video.

Thank you!! You have helped me make sense of this new toy! Your music is wonderful, keep playing!!

Your teaching demo features and performance are excellent! Just bought one and couldn’t figure out how to get it to do what I want. Rather than send it back you just showed what’s possible with lots of fresh ideas. Now excited about the new toy! Thank you so very much!

this is just about the most honest and humorous video Ive ever seen, Ever!! Well done. I guess I'm going with T.c helicon Voice live 2! These looked good, but know I have to wonder.

Probably the best examination of the thing I've seen. Certainly the most honest.

Brilliant and thorough. May you live long enough to review everything out there..., viele Spaß machen.

Just bought this unit and watched your review/tutorial - gold! I'm looking forward to "getting to know" my VE-8 - I suspect it will be a journey and a "relationship" with disappointments (mostly in myself!), reparation and reconciliation. I especially like your closing comments about this being the best practice tool because it requires you to play and sing at your best - just what I'm looking for. Vielen dank, Thomas :)

Thomas thank you very much for the thorough breakdown of the Boss VE 8.

THIS is the review/instructional I needed. Very well done, thanks! And yes, killer voice!

Awesome video. I received one of these today and was totally perplexed about how to effectively use it. The interface doesn't seem very intuitive, but you explained a ton of features very well. Thank you.

Really useful review - thanks Thomas - like your singing too...

Thank you so much. Extremely informative, this video made go out this morning step up from my 11 year old looper. I'll be watching this a lot over the next couple of days as I figure out how to use it.

What a great video! Thanks Thomas, you've made an awesome and very helpful guide to this pedal. You are also a pretty damn good musician!

The best review of this unit, 'by a country mile'. Well done Thomas and thank you. Can't wait to get mine.

Excellent Review! Thxs for making this. One thing that would be nice: do a short video, explaining its features as an Audio Interface. Cheers!

Great review. Thank you. And you, sir, are hilarious and honest. Love it.

First time I've been informed and entertained at the same time. Bravo on both!!!

Hi Thomas, excellent review, thank you from Canada.

First time I watched a whole 39 minute youtube video. It was informative and fun, thank you. And I agree with all the shortcomings. I hope Boss did too. And finally, thank you Boss for the wonderful devices they have produced over the years.

I like the way you explain this pedal. Thanks man!!!

Thank you for your comments. I love this pedal... but certain aspects of it are really confusing, despite the manual. So many things are buried in weird places. This video helped me. Honestly, when one can set it up, it works great. But it's not one that can be taken fresh out of the box to a gig.

Interesting live song writing idea there on your looping example. Thank you for your extensive explanation of the product.

Sorry I missed this when it first came out…you did this excellently!

Terrific review. Honest and talented (and funny) musician.

Parabéns! Você é extremamente didático e objetivo. Tirou todas as minhas dúvidas!

Man, I just ordered one of these, haven’t even got it yet, but I’m so excited after watching your video. Like another poster said, don’t sell yourself short man, you sound great!!!

Dude, I had to stop the video just a few minutes in and write this comment. Thank GOD for YOU! I am a true techie but this pedal drove me nuts. I've tried just about every harmony pedal out there - and thought I would go with TC Helicon - but then I found this Boss unit which has a seriously decent and simple harmony set up. I like the harmony so decided to pitch everything else and use it. BUT - the rest of the functions and controls ARE NOT transparent. THANK YOU. You saved me and my ears. Those GAIN and EQ tips you provided are paramount to anyone who wants to use this pedal. AND the ridiculousness of the vocal enhance button - well - I don't feel alone anymore AND you made me laugh and THAT made my day. Thanks again :)

Thomas, you are a really good tutor - really enjoy your video. Also, you bring a great by of humour in to it 😂

Great review and with a sense of humor

Thoroughly enjoyed your review

Thanks! the best review on youtube 🙌🙌

Absolutely great review! I'm buying this thing, now without any doubt!

Awesome tutorial. You are a great teacher and performer and added just the right amount of humor to keep me engaged. It seems that the basic functions are intuitive but the complex functions are berried in the menus. I love the unit, but I wonder if a future upgrade would maybe make use of an app to set parameters easier. I love the fact that is uses batteries for using it for busking.

so good review that I started watching it in german without understanding a word for 20 min, then I found the ENG version. Good job!!

Tom, wow! Superb review! I've never seen you on here before, but thanks... I'm checking out similar effects for Rumba Flamenco as i have my Cordoba strapped on as I type.... T Rex, Fishman and a few others...

Amazing review bro . Thanks for this

Great Review. Informative, good examples. All around good review. One criticism; you made it clear you do not like pitch correction, but it does have its place under certain circumstances. I wish, despite your dislike of it, you reviewed it as it's part of the unit. Again, thanks for a great review

That was really worthwhile, thanks for posting. Great demos, and with a sense of humour. 39 minutes and it wasn't boring.

Hi Thomas I learned more more about how to use this device in your review than in what is stated in the manual - I even tried to read it. The manual is level Siemens phone - very low level concerning readability. I like the device and your review is great. Very entertaining and useful.

Wow, great demo and some great playing and singing!!!

hello from Brazil!!!! thanks for the video man!!!! you r awesome!!!!

Best review, even just as a portable mixer it's worth getting.

Autocorrect info at the 3:45 mark... "If it's me and it sounds whacky, then I'm proud of it." That was great. I love it. Thanks for another great video.

Impressive tutorial and review! Bravo!

This is a excellent review well done.

You're hilarious brother. Great review. And you sounded fantastic!

great review, And I really like your version of aintnobody.

Good review. At last a demo that sounds good .

Finally. The one and only review of VE-8 that actually explains it well. Thanks for doing this. Its a very complicated pedal and I think you know more about it than Boss engineers. I have a love hate relationship with this pedal. Still can't get over the "Double press" to stop the looper. I use a Boss FS-6. However, the choices given to external switches are just terrible. You can only stop the looper from external switch but can't start it. The options for the 2nd switch as somewhat useless too.

Very Very useful and indepth review i've ever encountered thks a lot mate and hope u'll review Boss Ad 10 as well.

Best review, and super sympatic made

Yo, this guy is funny 😆. Super well put together review and demo to boot.

Very talented Thomas!

Super nice review! I just bought this unit, this video helps a lot! I think the best thing to do is to buy a FS-6 or FS-5. Just want to stop the lopper with one click

Great review as usual. There are very few gearheads who can sing...well done.

subscribed and liked. only cause I loved that tune you did with the loop pedal @5:28

Six years later and this review still holds up. Best review of this device I've seen. Great job!

Whoever made this pedal really loved chorus lol. Thank you for the great review.

resp. ring modulator at 12:45: You won't believe, how useful this sound is for your acoustic guitar... ;-) ROTFL Conclusion: Really informative and useful review from a great musician - much respect for your skills!

Great review ... 😎🤘🏻

Great review! Thank you!

Mal eine sehr angenehme Vorstellung von jemandem, der sehr schön singt und spielt. Vielen Dank.

very good review, thank you

Great video mate

You can layer guitar parts..I’ve heard it do that. And you can hook up a recording device or looping device to as well.

Haha, ♪ You're the best I've heard on any demo of these types of units. You can sing! and my opinion, the Boss unit sounds better than any out there. Thank you for helping me make up my mind! ♪♫

Excelente review

He’s literally,..put this pedal back in demand with this video and presentation! I’m sold!..will get this to add to my performances & practices sessions! ..and it’s the year 2020 at the time of this comment!! b(‘_< ) Well done!..even though this pedal is years old,...this is a fine demo of the unit! ☺️👌🏾🎸🎶

Best review ever!!!!

Great pedal been using it for a couple of years

I'm three days into this device, and I just found your video, thanks, but my head is spinning. I'm going back to square one. I don't see half of what you said in the manual. I'm sure I'll be returning here with specific questions, hopefully, I'll see answers in the comments and in your presentation

Omgsh I knew something seemed off with sound! I didn’t realize the pitch correct was like a frighten auto tune lol yuck ! Great review ! Very in depth

Great job and I think you are selling yourself short. Nice, clear examples of the capabilities of this monster married with some wicked humor and an appreciation for what's just a no-go (hello autotune!). .

Awesome job! Click track YES Boss!!!

Great review and very helpful, thanks Thomas. I am glad to see I'm not the only one annoyed by the manual. As I only play 5 or 6 times a year, the complexity level of assigning the output path requires me to have the manual at hand during gig setup. Could the print be ANY smaller? Watching me setting up in the corner of a poorly lit bar trying to read the damn thing is a never ending source of comedy entertainment for my duet partner. That being said, I do like the sounds I get out of it, although because of the complexity of the interface and my impatience, playing live I tend to stick to using it for guitar processing only, and keep it to a few basic settings. I've learned that if I have to hold one item while pressing something else - well I'm just not going to use that feature. That's probably why I'm an acoustic guitarist. The harmonizer is very useful for me as a creativity and practice tool, but I don't use it live simply because I don't have a need. The looper is also a great practice tool, but for the exact reasons you explained I have never used it live. The "press twice quickly to stop it" for me is as un-musical an act as possible: Our feet are connected to our brains to keep time, not to quickly press twice during the middle of a ballad - I just can't get comfortable with that. It's a great tool but a complex tool, thanks again for the deep dive.

great review

Fantastic video. I'm looking into something like this

Great, comprehensive review. Thanks! I’m still figuring out all the nuances of mine. However, I’m limited in not having a PA as yet. I have a Fender Acoustasonic amp with a guitar channel and a separate vocal channel with built in f/x on each channel. They are useful but I think with the VE8, I need to be able to turn the amp f/x off and just use the VE8. Same when I’m playing electric guitar in my band. I use a Katana amp and run straight into the band’s PA with the mic. Gets a bit tricky in these 2 separate scenarios. Also, I use it in the floor, of course, and it can be a pain in the ass to bend down and make minor adjustments or change selections (e.g. different harmony effects) for different songs on the fly. It would be handy to have it on a stand near my mic for those little adjustments but still hit the chorus, harmony and looper pedals on the floor. I do use the FS6 switch for the looper but if I don’t want to loop any vocals, just guitar, I’m more comfortable using my Boss RC3 loop station. Thanks again for the great review/demo!

... Ain't nobody ... done a better video on the VE-8 ... You are dedicated to your craft and it shows! Bravo!

Because of this video I will buy this great pedal

Awesome video!

You can plug a phone into the VE 8 that has a click track app

Very well done and highly informative. Thank you very much. May I ask: how realistic is the harmonizer? Also (and I share your reservation about this) is the vocal pitch correction accurate and useful? Thanks in Advance, Edward

I would like to know what amp or equipment you are using to get that sound for your vocals and guitar, I would like to have that same sound, thanks, great video !

Dynamite Review! Most impressed by the playing and singing. Top Notch!

Thanks ... great review

I'd like to add emphasis on some very important fixture of this device: it's actually pre-amp for acoustic instruments, specially with piezo pick-ups. Please pay attention - the guitar input has ulta-high impedance of 20 MOhm. There are no a lot of devices with such characteristics.

Excellent explanation! Thanks a lot. Is it possible to use an analog keyboard (chord) signal instead of a guitar to make the harmonizing ? I have the impression that wether the guitar chords are sounding or not sounding, I can not hear any difference in the harmonizing voices. Is there a real influencing of the harmonizer by the guitar chords??? There is also a demo on RU-vid where the "Sweet chariot" song is performed by a brilliant black keyboard player on a Roland ...77 synth. Is it possible to get the comparable sound with the VE-8 or did he use additional sequencing?

Best reviewer ever.

Sehr schön erklärt. Danke schön

Thanks for the great video Thomas (I love the 'I shall not showcase the pitch corrector---learn to sing"--lol!)..

Great review, dude - as always!